LOS ANGELES (NewsNation Now) — Since announcing her run for California governor, Caitlyn Jenner has yet to outline any major policy proposals for the Golden State. But her stance on transgender athletes has many noting a complete flip on a significant issue in California and across the country.
Comments the former Olympic champion and reality TV personality made over the weekend about transgender girls competing in school sports have triggered an onslaught of criticism.
“That’s why I oppose biological boys who are trans competing in girls’ sports in school. It just isn’t fair,” told TMZ in a brief interview Saturday.
Many critics point to 2015 when Jenner publicly supported trans athletes competing as who they are. Others note Jenner’s stance would’ve kept her out of the 1976 Olympics, where she won gold in the men’s decathlon.
The 71-year-old doubled down Monday, tweeting: “I didn’t expect to get asked this on my Saturday morning coffee run, but I’m clear about where I stand, it’s an issue of fairness and we need to protect girls’ sports in our schools.”
“It’s another example in a long line of many oppressed people coming out against their own community, said Lorri Jean, CEO of Los Angeles LGBT Center. “That’s what Caitlyn Jenner is doing. It’s inexcusable.”
Jean claims Jenner is merely pandering to conservatives.
“She has every reason to know the science behind this, and that is transgender women who are on hormone therapy have no greater competitive advantage over other women,” Jean explained.
Jenner’s stance is in line with a conservative effort to ban transgender females from competing in girls’ or women’s sports at all levels. Bills have been filed by Republicans in more than 30 states, including Florida, West Virginia, Alabama, Arkansas, and Ohio.
“We want every little girl to be able to compete on a level playing field and when biological males compete in female-only sports, it robs females of athletic opportunities,” said Rep. Jenna Powell (R-Ohio).
“Transgender girls have been playing sports since people have been playing sports,” said James Knapp, chair of TranOhio.” Transgender girls have been playing sports on school teams here in Ohio for over a decade with zero issues.”
So far this year bans on trans girls competing as girls have already passed in five states. Arkansas has also outlawed doctors from providing any gender-affirming treatment to anyone under the age of 18.
